#Marcella Raggedy Ann

[bluerapunzel103]

Not an Easy Job

My contribution to @raggedyannrevivaleffort's 2023 gift exchange! @stpaulofsuburbia, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Synopsis: General D. rides at night. Now, he rides alone. This gives him ample opportunity to ruminate on his position as General Darkness, Decay, Dissolution, Done For, Death, Doom.

Fandom: Raggedy Ann/Rag Dolly Character: General D., Bat Mention, Wolf Mention, Marcella Mention, Raggedy Ann Mention Dynamics: Past General D. and Bat and Wolf, Marcella and Raggedy Ann Rating: General/K+ Content Warnings: MASSIVE spoilers to Rag Dolly, heavy themes of death, grief, repression as present in the show Beta read?: Yes

Being Darkness is a dull job. General D. must operate mostly in the nighttime, only working in daylight in times of emergency and crisis. To be Darkness is, literally speaking, just that. He is one with the darkness, in most cases, to bring new souls into his army. Working with just the din of midnight's stillness leaves him ample time to meditate--no, ruminate--on his position in his travels. Granted, often, his right-hands killed that quiet, whenever he had right-hands, but even when he has none, or just finds peace, these thoughts occupy him instead. He supposes it comes with his rank, and he shouldn't be one to complain.

Being Decay is a gruelling job. So many people and animals die every single day. If one were to think about it, it's no wonder he needs an army. The volume of his workload is simply impossible to ever dream of fulfilling entirely on his own. Come to think of it, the General should probably think of recruiting some right-hands. He was beginning to regret letting Bat and Wolf fall victim to their own hubris. They were both very useful for covering more ground on busy nights. Then again, they were prone to taking entirely too long at their jobs. And pestering him. And, of course, thinking independently. Well, just because the General's army is large, it doesn't mean that there aren't no-good, clumsy, wimpy, flat-out useless excuses for soldiers within his legions.

Being Dissolution is a thankless job. No one ever thinks about the work it takes for him to consider when a soul is ready for recruitment. Yes, there have been countless miscalculations. In fact, not long ago, he had thought he found a good recruit to take Wolf's place, but the dog survived his ills and was back on his paws in no time. And, of course, Marcella still stings, considering that was when Wolf's soul died to begin with. But usually, he knows when it's time. Like now. He has finished recruiting a bullfrog who has met the end of its life. It was ready. It had been for a while. Each time, he takes whichever appendage is the most suited for a handshake, congratulates the new soul on their use of their life, and then presents them with their new title as Soldier of General D.'s Army. Then, he points them in the direction of the nearest boot camp for the dead to have the liveliness trained out of them. If they're lucky, they may rise to the top legion, just below right-hands to the General. Even just his workload adds up. He needs to hire right-hands.

Being Done For is an annoying job. Lately, it's been a bit quieter since Bat and Wolf have been gone, and it's allowed for some welcome peace and quiet on good days, to allow the General to meditate-ruminate. There are still times, though, that he finds himself pestered by the newest soldiers. Their relentless cries over regrets in their lives, seemingly endless questions as to whether their families and friends would be okay without them, what their title meant, and whether this surely would be forever. Even this bullfrog seems so unsure of themself in their first few minutes in this realm. The General has seen this countless times in varying orders, but it gets no easier to tolerate it every time, especially after he has just told them what they were now, for how long, and where the nearest boot camp was. He briskly takes Bullfrog's hand and tugs them along. Once he thankfully finds a veteran recruit, a human whose car he found on the road one rainy night, he shoves the clueless amphibian onto her to take to camp. Now, he could focus more on honing down the gentleman he was after next.

Being Doom is a lonely job. It is true. Despite the countless thousands of legions that he has accrued over the course of his career, despite, yes, the company of Bat and Wolf, the General has always been lonely, in a sense. It is something he does to himself. Being a harbinger of heartbreak, after all, does not necessarily grant one social capital in a world that can never seem to agree whether death is a good thing or a bad thing. He is quite positive most of his soldiers don't have a high opinion of him. Even more, though, he is trying not to get too attached to his recruits anymore. The last time he sought companionship with one, he not only lost his chance at bringing her aboard when he wanted to, but in his rage, he ended up losing his own right-hands. It truly is a shame, whenever he thinks about it. That's why he tries not to. Companionship only distracts him from his work.

Being Death is a cruel job. There are times where he does get a sick kick out of it, one should not get him wrong. The General usually is the first to admit that he has historically had quite liberal standards as for whether a soul "deserves" to be taken. Even when he killed Bat and Wolf, he is willing to admit, he felt a rush that he had not felt in so long. But even then, he has standards, and death is indiscriminate by design. Death is neutral, not on anyone's side. As such, especially since Raggedy Ann saved Marcella's life, he has begun to somewhat regret some of his recruits. He begins to feel sympathy for their loved ones. Each tear of confusion from a child who has seen her goldfish flip upside down in her tank. Each pained caress of a trunk from a pack of elephants at their matriarch's funeral. Each cry of anguish from a man freshly grieving his wife after a fast-acting illness. Again, he tries so much not to let himself get distracted by his feelings and do his job without any feelings of, "what if?" He is beginning to turn into a sorry excuse for a General, if he were to say so.

Being General D is not an easy job. It never has been, and it never will be. It is only getting harder. That is the one thing certain to him tonight as he finally finds his next recruit. An old man surrounded by his loved ones. There is no doubt to the General that it's his time. He cleanses the tattered, shattered, freshly-aching remnants of his heart, then he makes his entrance.

[uwmspeccoll]

Raggedy Origins

Raggedy Ann Stories is a short story collection written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. The collection centers around the sweet ragdoll character Raggedy Ann. Published in 1918 by M. A. Donohue & Company in Chicago, this edition is adorned with cheerful illustrations that truly bring the stories to life.

Raggedy Ann, a character that has captured the hearts of many, was brought to life by the American illustrator and author John Barton Gruelle (1880-1938). The character made its first appearance as a doll in 1915 and was later introduced to the public through this 1918 Raggedy Ann Stories book.

The exact beginnings of the Raggedy Ann doll and its related stories are unclear, but many myths and legends surrounding its origins have been widely circulated. Johnny Gruelle is responsible for sparking many of these tales—whether inadvertently or with his well-known sense of humor, it’s anyone’s guess! In one version, Gruelle's daughter Marcella discovered a faceless cloth doll in her grandmother's attic, which the artist then drew a face on. It is said that Gruelle made up stories about Raggedy Ann to tell his daughter, Marcella, who is believed to have been the inspiration behind the doll and its stories. One detail that is clear is that despite internet rumors to the contrary, the doll was not designed to represent children who died from vaccines. 

View more posts from our Historical Curriculum Collection

-Melissa, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[clairyclue]

made these for me and @ragsandrascals

[frodofartbear]

Happy late bday raggedy Ann :3

Here’s an adorable little Marcella giving a birthday cake to her best friend Annie ❤️❤️

[transgendertails]

Sometimes I think

Most of the time it’s about this

[muppetvision4d]

i know im probably spamming the ask-box but thoughts on marcella?

(and if you want a doodle because, as most of the fandom is, i’m obsessed with your art style)

A girl & her dolly 🥺❤️

I didn't grow up with any dolls really, but she makes me wanna have a tea party

& YOU ARE NOT SPAMMING THANK U FOR THE ASKS ALWAYS❤️❤️❤️

[ragsandrascals]

Here are some rag dolly doodles, plus annie and Andrew from the Snowden skating special. I love the 70’s movie but Rag Dolly will always be my favorite raggedy ann medium, snowdens a close third mostly because I'm weak for a live performance.

Okay, I recently found out that tweety,(the upper left character) was renamed yellow yum yum for the broadway production of rag dolly😋so please ignore that discrepancy ❤️

[cartooemcanhis]

hello ragdolly fandom

[undergroundbillions]

What's your favorite Raggedy Ann book?

i'm sure some of the mods share this opinion lol

Marcella: A Raggedy Ann Story

i think the art is gorgeous and the stories are lovely. the peak of the gruelle books for sure

- mod wowf🐾

[thedolldoctor]

24” Broadway Marcella and winking Raggedy Ann! They are available on my Etsy shop

[crystallakeslasher]

Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls are so cute and have always been apart of my life. They’re so lovable and the fact that Johnny Gruelle made a patent just for Marcella’s love to carry on is so sweet. 😭 They have a heart on their chest that says “I love you”. Even the home-made ones all have a heart. It’s so sweet if you think about it.

Plus, Andy and Ann (siblings or lovers not rlly confirmed I guess idk) nvm definitely siblings guys 👍

have always never been separated. Some dolls have their hands sewn together so they can never leave each others side.

I’ve been collecting them and other dolls for at least 5 years now. I dislike the fact people associate her with Annabelle. Annabelle was the big raggedy Ann doll that was occupied by a demon. That is in the past like not every Ann n Andy doll has a preoccupied demon ready to come home with you???

But seriously, let’s appreciate them both and Johnny gruelles work <3

Thanks to johnnys love for Marcella and to keep her memory alive, we now have the raggedies

[amethyst-labyrinth]

@dollynotapolly @what-raggedy-is-this

Looking at the Madam Alexander Marcella dolls made want one so I got one!

[clairyclue]

drew marcella in a quilt scrap dress and bow

[frodofartbear]

Not slipknot related but I’m in the raggedy Ann fandom. BUT PLZ DONT BE SCARED!!!! I’ll make jorey art just gimme a sec-

Anyways, this is a drawing that I thought was super duper adorable. Marcella is the blonde girl that raggedy Ann is brushing her hair with. This image was stuck in my head for a while and I love the way how it turned out.

[joeyiscool101010]

Hi!!!! Here’s some Marcella!!!! :◂)

[nkhluu]

Rags, buttons, and gingham and yarn...